logo
episode-header-image
Oct 2024
19m 43s

The US tech startup promising smarter ba...

The Guardian
About this episode
A startup company, Heliospect Genomics, is offering to help wealthy couples screen their embryos for IQ using controversial technology that raises questions about the ethics of genetic enhancement. Science correspondent Hannah Devlin tells Madeleine Finlay about the joint investigation into the company by the Guardian and the campaign group Hope Not Hate. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod
Up next
Aug 21
Can science crack the mystery of ME?
Scientists have found the first robust evidence that people’s genes affect their chances of developing myalgic encephalomyelitis or chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), a mysterious and debilitating illness that has been neglected and dismissed for decades by many in the medical co ... Show More
19m 7s
Aug 19
Why can’t the world get its act together on plastics?
After three years of negotiating, talks over a global plastics treaty came to an end in Geneva last week with no agreement in place. So why has it been so difficult to get countries to agree to cut plastic production? Madeleine Finlay hears from Karen McVeigh, a senior reporter f ... Show More
15m 57s
Aug 14
Staying cool in Europe’s record-breaking heat
Europe is suffering from another heatwave as deadly temperatures of up to 44C hit the continent and wildfires blazed across the Mediterranean. To find out why Europe is heating faster than anywhere else, Madeleine Finlay speaks to the Guardian’s Europe environment correspondent, ... Show More
16m 40s
Recommended Episodes
Mar 2022
Fair for all
AI needs to benefit everyone, not just those who build it. But fulfilling this promise requires careful thought before new technologies are built and released into the world. In this episode, Hannah delves into some of the most pressing and difficult ethical and social questions ... Show More
33m 23s
Aug 2022
Steve Hsu - Intelligence, Embryo Selection, & The Future of Humanity
Steve Hsu is a Professor of Theoretical Physics at Michigan State University and cofounder of the company Genomic Prediction.We go deep into the weeds on how embryo selection can make babies healthier and smarter.Watch on YouTube. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any other p ... Show More
2h 20m
Aug 19
Billionaires Lean on AI to Bring Sci-Fi Dreams to Life
Tech giants are pouring money into efforts to usher in a new world filled with robot cars, killer drones and solar power. WSJ columnist and Bold Names co-host Tim Higgins walks us through how their investments are making the stuff of science fiction real. And WSJ’s Julie Jargon t ... Show More
12m 19s
Oct 2024
Smart Talks with IBM: Scaling AI With Purpose
In this episode of Smart Talks with IBM, Jacob Goldstein speaks with Rebecca Finlay, CEO of Partnership on AI, about the importance of advancing AI innovation with openness and ethics at the forefront. Rebecca discusses how guardrails — such as risk management — can advance effic ... Show More
35m 37s
Nov 2024
The Tech-God Complex: Why We Need to be Skeptics
Silicon Valley's interest in AI is driven by more than just profit and innovation. There’s an unmistakable mystical quality to it as well. In this episode, Daniel and Aza sit down with humanist chaplain Greg Epstein to explore the fascinating parallels between technology and reli ... Show More
46m 32s
Sep 2024
Smart Talks with IBM: Education in the Age of AI
The role of AI in the classroom is evolving rapidly. When students and teachers embrace this technology, it has the ability to democratize access to education through programs like IBM SkillsBuild. In this episode of Smart Talks with IBM, Dr. Laurie Santos, host of Pushkin’s The ... Show More
42m 53s
Aug 2024
Why are businesses afraid of AI?
More than half of the top 500 companies in the United States now see Artificial Intelligence as posing a potential risk. That's a five-fold increase in just two years, according to a new survey. And some believe the technology could become a threat to their businesses. So what's ... Show More
26m 41s
Aug 2024
Smart Talks with IBM: An AI advantage for the US Open
As AI technology progresses, its impact on our daily lives—including how we consume our favorite sports— will grow alongside it. In this episode of Smart Talks with IBM, Jacob Goldstein, host of Pushkin’s own What’s Your Problem?, sat down with Brian Ryerson, Senior Director of D ... Show More
33m 48s